Chloe's marathon challenge to help restore sister's sight

A runner from Guildford is currently training for the London marathon to help fund research that could result in new treatments for her sister’s sight loss.

Chloe Jordan, right, and her sister Lizzi

Chloe Jordan applied for a marathon place with eye research charity Fight for Sight to raise funds for vital eye research after her sister experienced unexpected sight loss following complications from food poisoning at the age of twenty.

She will be joining sixteen runners for Fight for Sight who will be taking part in the world famous running event.

In September 2017 both Chloe and her 20 year old sister Lizzi were struck down with food poisoning - a rare strain of E. Coli. Chloe recovered but within days Lizzi was in intensive care with renal failure, heart failure, and chronic pneumonia. Miraculously Lizzi survived but unfortunately the condition caused significant damage to her retina and optic nerve and left her with no eyesight. There are currently no treatments for her condition.

Chloe says: “Healthcare and available treatments cannot develop or progress without clinical research. Maybe I can’t change anything for my sister but if I can help change the world for people in future then it’s worth it. Please join me on my fight for sight and sponsor me, no matter how small, to complete the London Marathon 2019.”

Chloe will now be raising money to support vital eye research that could lead to the next breakthrough for sight loss conditions like Lizzi’s, and others like glaucoma and macular degeneration. There are currently two million people living with sight loss in the UK.

Ed Jackson, events manager at Fight for Sight, said: “A huge thank you to Chloe and all of our runners for 2019. We know that sight loss doesn’t have to be inevitable - it’s through our fantastic supporters raising money for research that we will find the next breakthrough. You can start applying now for 2020 marathon places or why not download our free virtual running app to go on a journey to the centre of the eye”